Mayo-Tsanaga: The Alarm Cry of a Division Battered by Insecurity

Mayo-Tsanaga continues to bear the scars of a security crisis that has dragged on for more than a decade. In this Division of the Far North region, populations live amid fear, grief, and uncertainty.

Armed attacks, kidnappings for ransom, incursions by terrorist groups, and forced displacement continue to shape the daily lives of many families.

For his first field tour since taking office, the Senior Divisional Officer of Mayo-Tsanaga, Sone Clement Ngoue, went to meet populations in the Division’s seven Subdivisions.

The visit allowed him to gauge the scale of the security challenges facing residents and to listen to the numerous grievances expressed in some twenty traditional chiefdoms visited.

Everywhere he went, the same concerns arose: persistent insecurity, a resurgence of hostage-taking, and a growing sense of abandonment among the population.

Entire villages continue to suffer the consequences of violence, leaving behind grieving families and paralysed economic activities.

In several localities, residents recounted the human losses recorded over the years. In Tourou, in particular, the population still bears the scars of deadly attacks that claimed the lives of many civilians as well as members of vigilance committees working alongside defence forces to protect their communities.

Public infrastructure has not been spared. Markets have been reduced to ashes, homes destroyed, and health facilities vandalised, depriving populations of essential services. These destructions have further weakened communities already facing multiple difficulties.

Beyond security concerns, other major challenges were raised. In some localities, a lack of teachers seriously compromises the functioning of schools. Several staff assigned to the area are still hesitant to report to their posts due to the security climate.

Traditional authorities also pleaded for a strengthening of the security apparatus and for the revival of economic and tourism activities capable of breathing new life into areas once prosperous. Hopes are particularly pinned on the development of Rhumsiki’s tourism potential, a natural jewel whose attractiveness has sharply declined amid the crisis.

Facing the populations, the SDO reaffirmed his determination to combat firmly all forms of complicity that facilitate the activities of armed groups.

He insisted on the need for close collaboration between defence forces, administrative authorities, traditional Chiefs, and citizens to strengthen the effectiveness of the fight against insecurity.

The administrative authority also saluted the courage of the Defence and Security Forces as well as members of vigilance committees who continue to fight at the risk of their lives to preserve peace in the Division.

At the end of this tour, one observation stands out: Mayo-Tsanaga remains standing despite the trials. But behind this resilience lies a deep cry for help.

Populations now await concrete and lasting answers to definitively turn the page on insecurity and find their way back to serenity.